Spalletti: Italy coach notes German football changed ‘after Guardiola’ | OneFootball

Italy coach Luciano Spalletti praises his German counterpart Julian Nagelsmann and notes German football ‘changed’ after Pep Guardiola: ‘They used to focus more on physicality.’

The Azzurri coach held a press conference on Wednesday to preview the first leg of the Nations League quarter-final between Italy and Germany.

Spalletti provided the latest injury updates on the Azzurri front, revealing that he may only call up a replacement for Mateo Retegui for the second-leg game.

A German reporter asked Spalletti about his thoughts on Germany coach Nagelsmann, and the Azzurri boss spoke highly of the ex-Bayern Munich boss.

Spalletti: Italy coach notes German football changed ‘after Guardiola’

epa11721407 Italy’s head coach Luciano Spalletti (2-R) and national team delegation head Gianluigi Buffon (R) sing their national anthem ahead of the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Belgium and Italy in Brussels, Belgium, 14 November 2024. EPA-EFE/OLIVIER MATTHYS

“He’s a very strong coach. When you watch his teams, it’s immediately clear that he’s a modern coach, someone who works directly on the pitch,” Spalletti said via TMW.

“You can tell that the team follows his instructions. For example, they only take one kickoff per match, yet you can identify seven or eight different ways they execute it—that’s a sign that the coach has drilled them on specific patterns. The same applies to goal kicks—they switch things up. In deep build-up, they defend and build with four; in midfield build-up, they shift to three, with a midfielder dropping in while the fullbacks push up.

“He plays a very attacking style that matches his players’ qualities. He’s part of the evolution of German football, which started about ten years ago. They used to focus more on physicality and strength, but after Guardiola arrived, they incorporated more technical skill, possession play, and short passing. Now, Germany is a complete team in terms of style, and Nagelsmann is fully integrated into this modern approach. He’s a top coach.”

Spalletti has been in charge of the Azzurri since September 2023.

He has won 11 games from 20, drawing five and losing four times. The Azzurri have scored 34 goals during Spalletti’s tenure and conceded 21.

Italy will host Germany in the first leg of the Nations League quarter-finals on Thursday, March 20, while the second leg will be played at Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park this coming Sunday.